Creamy Shrimp Alfredo
Shrimp alfredo with garlic-seared shrimp and a from-scratch parmesan cream sauce over fettuccine. This creamy seafood pasta is ready in 30 minutes.
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Shrimp alfredo is the dinner I pull out when I want something that feels like a night out and I have half an hour to make it happen. Plump shrimp get seared in a hot pan until they curl and turn pink. Then they land in a butter and parmesan cream sauce that coats every strand of fettuccine. Thirty minutes, start to finish. It tastes like the kind of plate that usually comes with a bill.
The whole thing hinges on treating the shrimp and the sauce as two separate jobs. Shrimp go from tender to rubbery in about sixty seconds. So they sear fast over high heat, come out of the pan, and go back in only at the very end. Meanwhile the sauce builds slow and low in that same skillet, because parmesan seizes into grainy little clumps if the cream is bubbling hard when the cheese goes in.
Grate the parmesan off a wedge yourself. The pre-shredded bags are coated with cellulose and potato starch so the shreds don’t stick together in the bag. That coating is exactly what keeps them from melting into a smooth sauce. Two minutes with a box grater is the difference between silky and sandy.
Why You’ll Love This Shrimp Alfredo Recipe
- A real from-scratch sauce. Butter, cream, garlic, and freshly grated parmesan, with nothing poured out of a jar.
- Shrimp that stay tender. Searing them separately and adding them back at the end keeps every one plump instead of rubbery.
- On the table in 30 minutes. The sauce comes together in the time it takes the fettuccine to boil.
- Restaurant flavor, grocery store budget. A pound and a half of shrimp feeds six people here, which no restaurant plate does.
Shrimp Alfredo Ingredients
Buy the biggest shrimp your budget allows, in the 21/25 or 16/20 count range. Bigger shrimp have more margin for error: they stay juicy through a hard sear, while small ones overcook before they get any color on them.
- 1 lb fettuccine
- 1 1/2 lbs large shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 1 tsp salt, divided
- 1/2 tsp black pepper, divided
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 6 tbsp butter
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
- 1 1/2 cups freshly grated parmesan
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg (optional)
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish
- 1 lemon, cut into wedges, for serving
Recipe Variations
- Add a big handful of baby spinach or halved cherry tomatoes to the sauce right before the pasta goes in for color and a little freshness.
- Stir 1/2 teaspoon of cajun seasoning into the shrimp before searing if you want some heat behind the cream.
- Swap the fettuccine for linguine or penne. Anything with enough surface area to hold sauce works well here.
How to Make Shrimp Alfredo
- Boil the fettuccine: Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil and cook the fettuccine according to the package directions until al dente. Scoop out 1 cup of the pasta water before draining, then set the pasta aside.
- Season and sear the shrimp: Pat the shrimp completely dry with paper towels and toss with 1/2 teaspoon of the salt, 1/4 teaspoon of the pepper, and the garlic powder. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers, then add the shrimp in a single layer. Cook 1 to 2 minutes per side, just until they turn pink, opaque all the way through, and curl into a loose C shape. Move them to a plate right away.
- Melt the butter and garlic: Turn the heat down to medium-low and add the butter to the same skillet. Once it melts, stir in the minced garlic and cook about 1 minute, until it smells sweet and turns pale gold. Don’t let it brown or the sauce turns bitter.
- Simmer the cream: Pour in the heavy cream and bring it to a bare simmer, with just a few lazy bubbles around the edge. Let it cook 3 to 4 minutes, stirring now and then, until it thickens slightly and coats the back of a spoon.
- Whisk in the parmesan: Reduce the heat to low. Add the parmesan a small handful at a time, whisking until each addition melts before adding more. Season with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and the nutmeg if using.
- Toss the pasta in the sauce: Add the drained fettuccine to the skillet and toss with tongs until every strand is coated. If the sauce is tighter than you want, loosen it with the reserved pasta water a few tablespoons at a time.
- Add the shrimp back and serve: Fold the shrimp and any juices from the plate into the pasta and toss for about 30 seconds, just long enough to warm them through. Scatter the parsley over the top and serve with lemon wedges on the side.
Recipe FAQs
How Do I Know When the Shrimp Are Done?
Go by look, not a thermometer. Shrimp are done the moment they turn pink and opaque all the way through and curl into a loose C. If they curl into a tight O, they’ve gone a little too far.
Can I Use Frozen Shrimp?
Yes, and most bagged shrimp were frozen anyway. Thaw them in a colander under cold running water for about 5 minutes, then pat them very dry. Wet shrimp steam in the pan instead of searing.
Why Is My Alfredo Sauce Grainy?
Two usual culprits: the cream was boiling when the cheese went in, or the parmesan came pre-shredded. Keep the heat on low and grate the cheese from a block.
Can I Make This Lighter with Half-And-Half?
You can, though the sauce will be noticeably thinner and it’s more likely to break over heat. Simmer it a couple extra minutes and keep the heat gentle.
Can I Double This, and What Goes Well with It?
Yes, but sear the shrimp in two batches so they brown instead of steam, and use your biggest skillet for the sauce. A crisp green salad or steamed broccoli is all it needs alongside.
Cooking Tips
- Dry shrimp sear, wet shrimp steam. Pat them down with paper towels even if they look dry coming out of the package.
- Salt the pasta water like the ocean. It’s the only chance the noodles themselves get to be seasoned, and it matters more in a mild cream sauce than a spicy one.
- Keep that cup of pasta water until the plates are on the table. The starch in it loosens a tight sauce without watering down the flavor, which plain water can’t do.
Storage and Freezing
To store: Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. Shrimp don’t hold as long as chicken, so eat these sooner rather than later.
To freeze: Freezing isn’t recommended. The cream sauce separates once thawed and the shrimp turn spongy, so this one is worth eating fresh.
To reheat: Warm gently in a skillet over low heat with a splash of cream or milk, stirring often, and pull it off the heat as soon as it’s warm. A hard reheat overcooks the shrimp a second time.
How to Serve Shrimp Alfredo
Shrimp Alfredo is rich enough to be the whole meal, so keep the sides light. A crisp green salad with a sharp vinaigrette or a pile of steamed broccoli cuts through the cream nicely, and a squeeze of lemon over your plate wakes the whole thing up. If you want the same creamy parmesan sauce with a different protein, our Crockpot Chicken Alfredo runs on the same idea with almost no hands-on time.
Loved This Recipe?
Shrimp alfredo is proof that a genuinely special dinner can happen on a regular Tuesday in about half an hour.
Leave a star rating in the comments below, it helps other people find this recipe. Made it? Tag @allwellfed on Instagram, I love seeing this one in other people’s kitchens.
Creamy Shrimp Alfredo
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 lb fettuccine
- 1 1/2 lbs large shrimp peeled and deveined
- 1 tsp salt divided
- 1/2 tsp black pepper divided
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 6 tbsp butter
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
- 1 1/2 cups freshly grated parmesan
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg optional
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley chopped, for garnish
- 1 lemon cut into wedges, for serving
Instructions
- Boil the fettuccine: Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil and cook the fettuccine according to the package directions until al dente. Scoop out 1 cup of the pasta water before draining, then set the pasta aside.
- Season and sear the shrimp: Pat the shrimp completely dry with paper towels and toss with 1/2 teaspoon of the salt, 1/4 teaspoon of the pepper, and the garlic powder. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers, then add the shrimp in a single layer. Cook 1 to 2 minutes per side, just until they turn pink, opaque all the way through, and curl into a loose C shape. Move them to a plate right away.
- Melt the butter and garlic: Turn the heat down to medium-low and add the butter to the same skillet. Once it melts, stir in the minced garlic and cook about 1 minute, until it smells sweet and turns pale gold. Don’t let it brown or the sauce turns bitter.
- Simmer the cream: Pour in the heavy cream and bring it to a bare simmer, with just a few lazy bubbles around the edge. Let it cook 3 to 4 minutes, stirring now and then, until it thickens slightly and coats the back of a spoon.
- Whisk in the parmesan: Reduce the heat to low. Add the parmesan a small handful at a time, whisking until each addition melts before adding more. Season with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and the nutmeg if using.
- Toss the pasta in the sauce: Add the drained fettuccine to the skillet and toss with tongs until every strand is coated. If the sauce is tighter than you want, loosen it with the reserved pasta water a few tablespoons at a time.
- Add the shrimp back and serve: Fold the shrimp and any juices from the plate into the pasta and toss for about 30 seconds, just long enough to warm them through. Scatter the parsley over the top and serve with lemon wedges on the side.
Notes
If you made this, leave a star rating down in the comments. It takes about ten seconds, and it’s how other cooks decide whether a recipe is worth trying.
